Dough-divider.



No. 871,650. PATENTED NOV. 19. 1907. F. STREIGH.

DOUGH DIVIDER. APPLICATION FILED AUG.31,190\

2 SHEBTSSHIIET 1,

ill I' 1 machine.

Parana orat on.

FRANKSTREIGH, OF JOLl'E-T, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO CHAMPlON MACHINERY COMPANY,- OF JOLIET, ILLINOIS.

IDOUGH-DXVIDET- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 19, 1907.

Application filed August 31 1905 Serial No. 332.8611

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that 1, FRANK SruEroH, citizen ot'the United States, residing at Joliet, in the county of Will and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Dough-l)ividers oi which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for bakers use and refers more especially to that type of apparatus adapted for automatically measuring or dividing a mass of dough into equal DOItiOns in order to produce loaves of bread having a uniform Weight.

Among the salient objects of my invention are, to produce a device for dividing dough with greater accuracy than hitherto been possible either by hand work or mechan ical appliances; to eliminate all handling of the material which would tend to produce an insanii ary product; to provide an apparatus capable of dividing a greater amount of material in a given time; to simplify the parts so as to lessen the cost of n'ianufacture, and to produce means for conveying the pieces of dough after division away from the The ordinary methods of dividing a mass of dough by cutting oil pieces by hand and weighing or scaling them is not only a slow and tedious process, but is objectionable on account of the inaccurate results attained and also for sanitary reasons since the hands ofthe operator must necessarily come more or less into contact with the material thus manipulated. Some of these objections also hold regardirw many of the mechanical appliances hereto ore substituted.

In my improved apparatus, however, I have practically eliminated all hand work and its accompanying disadvantages.

The construction and operation of the machine is such that duplicate portions of dough are sixrrultaneously divided and placed upon the conveyor thus materially increasing the output, and, since all the operations are automatic after the material placedfin the hopper, and the division oi the dough is accomplished under sufiicient pressure to eliminate all air cavities of appreciable size, the separated portions are practically uniform in weight.

To accom lish these objects the invention consists in t e mechanical construction here-- 1nafter described, and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims; and further illustrated in the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in whicl Figure 1 is a side elevation of my improved dough divider; Fig. 2 is a longitudinal ver-- tical section; Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the complete machine with the conveyer at tached; Fig. 4 is a sectional view on the line 4-4 o'l Fig. l Fig. 5 is a fragmentary view of the compression chamber seen in transverse section, and Fig. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of one of the auxiliary receptocles.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral 7 one piece but which may, for convenience in construction. be made in two or more parts secured by suitable bolts. The upper por tion 8 of the frame is somewhat contracted laterally forming a receptacle or chamber, the bottom of which is closed by a plate 8. A hopper 9 is placed above the said receptacie and reinovably secured in position by pins 10 which engage lugs formed integral with the hopper. The cavity or chamber of the receptacle is closed in front by a follower 12, adaptcd'to be reciprocated therein. The top and inner end of said follower are preferb y formed intc rally with two parallel division plates 13 between which is slidably mounted a block 14 having a link 15 pivot-- ally attached to its outer'end by a pin. 16. Lugs 17. projecting from the said block 14 and the rear wall of the follower carry a strong compression spring 18. The plates adapted to receive bolts which pass transversely through the said block 14. The rear wall of the chamber 11 is provided with circular o )enings 21. The said chamber is for free communication between the hopper and the cavity 11 of the chamber. The said plates have lugs formed integral .herewith to receive pins 10 which secure them to similar lugs, formed integral with the hopper 9. The circular openings 21 in the rear wall of the com ression chamber 11 are closed by sectors 23, ixed to shafts 24, 24, journaled in. bearings 25 which project laterally from the main frame 7. Stud sectors are furnished. with segmental gears which mesh with each other. The sectors 23 carry auxiliary receptacles :37 cylindrical inform each cylinder being pro indicates the frame of the machine, shown in closed a ove by plates 22, leaving an opening 13 are provided with longitudinal slots 19 spring 31 which tends to hold the piston 29 1 rollferf in a retracted position. Upon the shaft 24 is mounted a segmental gear 32 which engages a vertical rack 33 which vertically reciprocates in a guide plate 34. The lower end of the rack carries a roller 35 Fig. 3,

which engages a groove 36 ina cam 37 keyed to a shaft 38 which carries a gear wheel 39 driven by a pinion 40 fixed to a driving shaft 41 upon which are mounted fast and loose ulleys 42. Pivoted at 43 is an operating liaver 44 attached to the link 15 a pin 45. An arm 46 is ivoted at one end to said lever and at the ot er attached to an eccentric 47 secured to the shaft 38. A curved arm 48 journaled to. the said operating lever connects ,the latter with a clip 49 adjustably fixed to a reciprocatin rod 50 which passes through hearings in t e frame 7. The rear end of said rod is furnished with a cross head 51 the outefcxtremities 52 being upturned, and are in alinement with the piston rod 30 when the cylinder 27 is at the lowest oint of its move ment as hereinafter descri ed. '.-A horizontal rod 53 projecting rearwardly carries a bifurcated stop arm 54 the hub of which has a sliding movement upon saidrod 53. This sliding arm is moved along its shaft and held in position by an adjusting screw 55 which has secured thereto a hand wheel 57, the screw 55 and the rod 53 being rigidly held by a block 58 fixed to the rear cover plate 22. Keyed to the rod 53 is a guide 59 which ongages the sector gears 26 when in their highest positions as described hereinafter, and prevents their displacement during the operative pressure of the plunger.

The hop er 9 is traversed by horizontal shafts 60 W 'ch project through the walls of the hopper. Upon one end of one shaft a sprocket wheel 6O is connected by a chain 61 to a similar'sprocket 62 mounted up on the end of the shaft 38'. A roller 63 journaled in bearijn s 64 bolted to the main frame carries an {endless apron 65 which passes-around a 66, similar to 63 and mounted. upon an auxiliary frame 67, which may be located at any desired distance from the machine. The roller 66 has a pulley 68 mounted upon its shaft and driven by a belt 69 which re-.

I 'ceives motion from a pulley 70 carried by the.

main shaft 41, the direction of the belt being deviated by means of idlers 71 fixed to the side of the main frame 7. The shafts 60 have feed-rollers 72 mounted thereon and are provided with scrapers 73 which prevent clogging of the-rollers and deflect the mate. rial into the compression chamber 11in ad- -uniformly continuous.

l the follower.

Vance of the plunger 12. Motion is trans mitted from the driven shaft of one-feedloller to the other by a train of gears 7,4.

In operating the machine the material to be divided is placed in the hopper by .any

desirable method, and the machine is driven from any convenient source of power by a belt applied to the pulleys 42. Motion is transmitted through the gears 40, 39, to the eccentric 47 which will impart a roplrin'g movement to the lever 44, thus transmitting a regular reciprocating motion to the hill wcr 12. The cam 37 through the medium 0 the. rack 33 will impart a regular rotary movement to the shaft 24, the operation of the segmental member 26 producing a like movement to its companion shaft 24. The cam groove 36 is so designed that during certain portions ,of its rotation the movement of the rack 33 will be stopped while the movements of the other portions of the mechanism will be The mutual ar rangement of the arts is such. that one of these delays will take place while the follower is moving toward the rear of the compression chamber, at which time the sectors are so placed that the cylinders 27 register with the openings 21 in the compression chamber,. at the same time the feed rollers 60 will be rotating in such a direction as' -will tend to force the material in the hopper downward before the advancing plunger. Were thisfeeding mechanism or its equivalent not employed the tenacious character of the dough would interfereiwith the proper feeding for gravity alone cannot-be depended upon to give the required result. The delay element in the cam 37 in the position indicated above exercises its function until the follower has reached the limit of its rearward movement during which the dough contained within the chamber 11 is forced into the auxiliary receptacles or cylinders 27, carrying their pistons 29 rearwardly until the rods 30 strike against the stop arms. 54 thus preventing further recession of the pistons and deter- I mining the quantity of material which can be forced within the cylinder cavities. If this stop action takes lace before the follower has reached the imit ofits rearward movement the spring 18 will yield sufficiently to allow the lever 44 to complete its 'arc of movement without further action upon At the moment when the lever 44 starts forwardagainthe cam 37 will act through the rack 33*to rotate the sectors carrying the cylinders downward their piston rods 30 gliding along the curved arms 54'. until their lowest position is reached, when the delay element of the cam will again cause them to remain uiescentwhilc the lever 44 continues its orward movement. The, cross-head 51 following the movement ofthe lever 44 will now make contact with the projecting ends of the piston scent of the cylinders that portion of run-- used, by turning the screw 55 to set the ters Patent, is

end of the compression chamber.

.be made in the devices of my invention .forth.

rods 30 and moving forward in unison with l the lever movement will force out the coni tents of the cylinders to fall by gravity upon the conveyor 65. The lever 44 having now reached 'itslorward limit the above described operation will be repeated. During the descent of the cylinders the openings 21 will be closed by the 0 posing surfaces of the sectors whih are a apted to fit closely the It willbe understood that during the dcterial contained therein will be separated from the mass remaining in the chamber by the shearing action which takes place between t he margins of the cylinders and those of the circular openings 21.

It will be clear that the quantity of dough may be minutely varied as may be demanded by changes in the character of the mixture guide arms 54 nearer to or farther from the cylinders.

,- It will be obvious that many changes may without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and I'do not wish, therefore, to be limited to the precise construction herein set Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure b y Letl. In a machinefor dividing plastic substances, a hopper, feed-rollers mounted in said hopper, a chamber communicatirn with said hopper, and a reciprocating phingcr mounted in said chamber. r

2; In a machine for dividing plastic substances, a hopper, feeding means arranged in said hopper, a chamber communicating with said. hopper, and reciprocating means mounted in said chamber, said means consisting of a hollow plunger, a block slidably arranged in'said plunger, and a spring arranged bctween said block and the end wall'ol' the plunger.

3. in a machine for dividing plastic substances, a hopper, feeding means arranged in said hopper, a chamber cou'imui'iicating with said hopper, a hollow plunger slidably mounted in said chamber, a block slidably arranged in'said plunger, means limiting the movements of said block, and cushioning meansbetween said block and the end wall of said plunger.

4. in a machine for d ividing/ plastic substances, a hopper, feeding means rotatably mounted. in said hopper, a chamber communicating with said hopper, a hollow plunger slidably mounted in ,said chamber and hav ing its walls slotted. a block sliilably ar ranged in said plunger. and means engaging said block and slotsfmd limitingthc movemcnts of said plunger, H a

5. An apparatus for the purpose specified including a receptacle for the material to be operated upon, a compression chamber, a iollower adapted to reciprocate within said chamber, a plurality of movable auxiliary receptacles adapted to intermittently cornmunicate with said compression chamber, means for varying the capacity of said auxiliary receptacles, means for simultaneously moving said auxiliaryreceptacles into and out of communication with said compression chamber, feeding mechanism, and a conveyer for the iinisl'icd product.

6. An apparatus for the purpose specified including a receptacle adapted to receive the material to be, acted upon, a compression chamber communicating with. said receptacle a follower adapted to be reciprocated within said compression chamber, yielding means for o )erating said follower, a plurality of movale auxiliary receptacles, means for bringing said auxiliary receptacles alternately into and out of communication with the said compression chamber, means for varying the capacity of said auxiliary receptacles, means for removing the material from the auxiliary receptacles, feeding mechanism, and a conveyor for the divided material.

7. An apparatus for the purpose specified including a hopper to receive the material a chamber communicating with said hopper, a follower adapted to reciprocate within said chamber, yielding means for operating said follower, auxiliary movable receptacles provided with yielding pistons, means for adjustably limiting the movement of said pistons, means for moving the said auxiliary ceptacles into and out of conununication with the said chamber, feed-rollers; means for moving said pistons, and a conveyor.

8. Anapparatus for the purpose 5 ecified including a removable ho per, a c \amber communicating with said iopper, feed-rolli the divided material.

9. In. a dough dividing machine, comprising a compression chamber and means for compressing dough therein, dough measuring means, comprising two reciprocating plates having intereugaging portions and each provided with a chan'iber having a piston mounted therein, and means for operating said plates.

10 In adough dividing machine, a hop per, feed rollers mounted in said hopper, a comprcssion chamber communicating with saidhopper, a reciprocating plunger indium In testimony whereof I affix my signatpre ed in smd chamber, means perating said in presenceggftwo Witnesses. plimgel', dough measuring receptacles adapt- FRANK STREICH ed to be brought into and out ofxegistry with said chamber, means for operating said \Vitnesses: receptacles, and means for arymg their ca- FRANK J. WIsE, paclpy. PHIL F. CARROLL. 

